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Kemp keeps games played streak alive

Kemp keeps games played streak alive

CHICAGO -- Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp sounded like he might see his longest active consecutive games played streak end after coming up with a tight left hamstring late Saturday.

Kemp was scratched from the starting lineup Sunday, but pinch-hit in the seventh inning and flied out in the Dodgers' 4-3 loss in 11 innings. The streak now stands at 392 games.

While describing this injury as similar to the one that forced him to miss only one start last June (he also pinch-hit in that game), Kemp made it sound as if he's prepared to watch a game or two of the Dodgers-Giants series that starts at home Monday night.

"I just don't want to be stupid," said Kemp. "I'd rather rest it one day than do something stupid, and it could be a week or two or however long."

Kemp said he felt his leg "pull a little bit" cutting off Ian Stewart's RBI single in the left-center gap in the ninth inning of Saturday's 5-1 win.

Kemp said he wants to play Monday, but sounded uncertain if he would.

"The streak does mean something to me, to play every day, but still I don't want to do something stupid to put my teammates in a situation where they lose me for one or two weeks," he said. "It could be only one day and maybe this is the day and I can get back to play San Francisco. It feels weird watching the team play."

Kemp was replaced in the starting lineup by Tony Gwynn, who went 0-for-3 with a walk.

"We weren't going to take the chance of having him run the bases or playing the field," manager Don Mattingly said, especially with the outfield having taken two hours of pregame rain. "We feel like he's day to day. But we'll be cautious. We don't want him to miss 15 days and take another 10 to get back in the swing. He won't be back until he's pain-free."